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Niels Swinkels

Native Dutchman Niels Swinkels is a freelance journalist, musicologist, and sound engineer. Before moving to San Francisco, he was the arts editor and senior classical music/opera critic for Brabants Dagblad, a regional daily newspaper in the Netherlands. As a freelance writer and sound engineer, he currently works for San Francisco Opera, KALW Local Public Radio, Elevation Online, Earprint Productions, and others.

Articles by this Author

Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
September 27, 2016
The Italian Muse Touches the San Francisco Symphony
BY Niels Swinkels

Tenor Michael Fabiano shone in the all-important opera highlights, but the full program went much deeper into the sweep of Italian music.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
September 20, 2016
MTT Gives Musician’s View of Beethoven’s Fifth
BY Niels Swinkels

The conductor provides a revelatory reading of an iconic masterwork, devoid of the usual drama.

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Opera Review
July 19, 2016
Opera Theater Unlimited Gives Full-Blooded Poppea
BY Niels Swinkels

Stripped down to essentials, this was a visceral, exciting production of Monteverdi's masterpiece, The Coronation of Poppea.

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Choral Review
May 17, 2016
S.F. Bach Choir’s Spirited Mass in B Minor Verges on the Magnificent
BY Niels Swinkels

Dr. Magen Solomon has guided the venerable community choir to new levels of artistry.

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Early Music/Baroque Review
April 26, 2016
American Bach Soloists Take Intimate View of Bach Oratorios
BY Niels Swinkels

Despite the large forces arrayed for the Easter and Ascension Oratorios, Jeffrey Thomas and his musicians achieve chamber music-like clarity and unforced communication.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
April 13, 2016
S.F. Symphony Plays from the Heart in Mahler, and Schubert
BY Niels Swinkels

The orchestra’s intimate connection with the works of Mahler continues to inspire.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
April 5, 2016
MTT Studies the Academic Side of Copland and Schumann
BY Niels Swinkels

SF Symphony featured the less-performed, edgy works in Copland's output, with Inon Barnatan at the keyboards for the Piano Concerto.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
March 29, 2016
Montreal Symphony Sensational with Trifonov in Berkeley
BY Niels Swinkels

The Russian piano phenomenon delivered a thrilling performance in collaboration with Kent Nagano and the OSM.

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Chamber Music Review
March 25, 2016
Curious Flights Transports with “Transatlantic Crossings”
BY Niels Swinkels

Fresh compositions by Simon Dobson highlight the latest installment of this inventive series.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
February 23, 2016
Denève Brings S.F. Symphony to a French Soundgasm
BY Niels Swinkels

The French conductor brought a Glimmer of new music to the San Francisco Symphony’s series of subscription concerts.

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Chamber Music Review
February 16, 2016
Cypress Quartet: Brahms by Osmosis
BY Niels Swinkels

With friends Barry Shiffman and Zuill Bailey, Cypress Quartet gave fluid performances of Brahms’ sextets.

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Early Music/Baroque Review
February 3, 2016
Forgotten Viennese Composers Get Some Love From Quicksilver
BY Niels Swinkels

The greats and not-so-greats of 17th-century Vienna get a hearing thanks to the Quicksilver ensemble.

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Early Music/Baroque Review
January 27, 2016
ABS Chorus Stands Out in ‘Bach Favorites’
BY Niels Swinkels

American Bach Soloists revisited two of the three Bach Cantatas from their inaugural concert for the opening of their 27th season.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
January 19, 2016
Ax and Urbanski: A Meeting of Magnificent Musical Minds
BY Niels Swinkels

Conductor Krzysztof Urbanski made an astonishing debut with the San Francisco Symphony, joined by pianist Emanuel Ax.

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Early Music/Baroque Review
December 22, 2015
Italian Baroque for the Holidays by Voices of Music
BY Niels Swinkels

The early music ensemble performed festive pieces from the Italian baroque at St. Mark’s Lutheran in San Francisco.

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Choral Review
December 15, 2015
American Bach Soloists Excel in Joyful Christmas Story
BY Niels Swinkels

Bach’s sumptuous and inspired Christmas Oratorio was well-served by Jeffrey Thomas’ ace musicians.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
November 24, 2015
On Schumann’s Big Night at the Symphony, Strauss Stands Out
BY Niels Swinkels

The symphony is recording Schumann’s four symphonies, but orchestra and soloist made a stronger case for Richard Strauss.

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Choral Review
November 4, 2015
SF Girls Chorus, TENET Go ‘Behind Convent Walls’
BY Niels Swinkels

The chorus joined the early music ensemble in honoring 17th-century female composers.

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Choral Review
October 20, 2015
Cal Bach Society Revives Zelenka’s ‘Bohemian Masterpiece’
BY Niels Swinkels

Cal Bach Society celebrated the opening of its 45th season with a fine performance of Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Missa Votiva.

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Chamber Orchestra/Orchestra Review
October 6, 2015
S.F. Symphony Delivers Hearne's Dispatches With Dose of Tchaikovsky
BY Niels Swinkels

Filled with music and ideas from outside the concert hall, Ted Hearne's new work opens doors, but it was not the only fresh performance at Davies this past week.

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